After you set up resources for your DB2 Spatial Extender GIS, you are ready to create objects that will contain spatial data. For example, if you need new tables to contain spatial data, you can define them, assigning spatial data types to the columns that you want the data to go into. If you need to add spatial columns to existing tables, you can do that also.
When you provide a new or existing table with a spatial column, you need to register this column as a layer. In addition, if you plan to have a geocoder populate the column, you can, at the time that you register the column as a layer, enable the geocoder to maintain it automatically. This enablement occurs in the following way: DB2 Spatial Extender defines triggers that are coded to invoke the geocoder whenever the spatial column's corresponding attribute column (or columns) receive new or updated data. When invoked, the geocoder translates the new or updated data into spatial data, and places this spatial data into the spatial column.
After you define a spatial column for a table, you can, if you choose, create a view column over this table column. You must register the view column as a layer after you register the table column as a layer.
This chapter discusses the nature and use of the data types that you can assign to spatial column. Next, the chapter explains how to use the Control Center to define a spatial column for a table, to register this column as a layer, and to enable a geocoder to maintain it. Finally, the chapter explains how to use the Control Center to register a view column as a layer.